Differential pressure bailer



Feb. 22, 1938. w 1 FLURY DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE BAILER Filed Aug. 26, 1955 William @LFI/Ury www t 9 1 0 5 a 5 5 4 0 1 0 5 4 e 3 Z WW 5 o 5/ d* MN5 Y N z 2 RQ a i 0 i2 8 Z Z H 3 .3 3 5 3 3 5 5 Z 0 Z Z, Z wwviwmmukmwwmwnwww Invia-Um a 0 2 lwNHmRwwRw/muw Z o3 6 Z 9 .MN n 1 Z 2 Z 1 Patented Feb. 22, `1938 PaEssUnE BAUER.

. William J. Flury, Long Beach, Calif., assignonby direct and mesne assignments, of one-sixthv to Frank Hallen and one-sixth to Louis P. Brandel, both of Long Beach, Calif., and one-half to Paul Cavins, Long Beach,

Appucaun August ze, 1935, sei-m Nn. 37,794

s claims. (ol. 16s-19) This invention has to do in a general way with oil well operations and is more particularly related to improvements in bailers of the so-called suction or more accurately the "differential pressure" type. Asis well known to those familiar with the art, ballers of the general class above referred to are extensively used for the purpose of removing sand and other debris from the bottom of oil wells and embody a sand chamber and an air chamber separated by a valve mechanism adapted to be forcefully opened against an excessive pressure in the sand chamber when the unit engages the bottom of the well.

It is one object of this invention to provide in a. bailer of the class described, an improved valve mechanism which is opened immediately as the unit is collapsed but which is closed as soon as the unit is extended and remains closed as long as the unit is in extended position. In an ar,

rangement of this character even though the assembly may inadvertently be lowered into the well at a velocity great enough to momentarily collapse the unit when it strikes` the liquid in the well, it immediately extends and closes the valve so that the only eil'ect will be to slightly increase the pressure in the air chamber above atmospherlc. Even with the slight increase of pressure in the air chamber, which might be effected through this action, the difference between thev chamber from the liquid in the Awell whenever.

the unit is in a freely suspended position. Still another object of this invention is to eliminate the difficulties ordinarily encountered in .dumping or discharging the bailer by providing an auxiliary downwardly opening by-pass valve within the bailer unit between the air chamber and sand chamber so that when the discharge valve is opened and the pressure in the air cham` ber is consequently greater than the pressure in the sand chamber, this by-pass valve will be automatically opened to Vapply pressure from the air chamber to the contents of the sand chamber and effect their discharge.A In this way I provide a unit which can be unloaded independently of any movement between the two members. .In other words, the unit contemplated by this invenftion may be unloaded while it is suspended from' the line or cable'or it may be unloaded when it is in a substantially horizontal position.

y- The details in the construction of a preferred form of my invention, together with other objects attending its production, will be best understood 5 from the following description of the accompanying drawing, which is chosen for illustrative purposes only and in which Fig. l is an lelevational view .partially broken away showing a preferred embodiment of my in- 10 vention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional elevation taken through the valved portion of the unit in a plane represented by the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; d

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional elevation siml5 ilar to Fig. 2 showing the position of the parts when the two telescoping elements are collapsed; and

Fig. 4 is a-plan section taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2. Y 20 More particularly describing the invention as herein illustrated, reference numeral II indicates abailer which is formed of two telescoping tubular units indicated generally by reference numerals I2 and I3. The upper unit I2 is provided with 25 a cover cap I5 of conventional type, such cap being provided with a ring or link member I6 to which a suspending cable I'l may be attached. 4 The bottom of the lower member I3 is provided with the conventional inlet and discharge shoe 30 generally indicated by reference numeral I8 which is shown as being provided with a bull nose I9 and has an inwardly opening check valve of the flapper type 20 mounted therein. The discharge valve on this shoe may be of any con- 3'5 ventional type and is shown as comprising a sleeve 2| which has ports .22 therein, such ports being adapted for alignment with ports 23 in the wall of the shoe when the sleeve 22 is rotated.

The bottom of the upper member I2 is pro- 40 vided with a bushing or fitting 21 which has a reduced hollow stem 28 on its lower end, such stem member. 50

:In the upper end of the lower or outer mem.- berv I3 I provide an inwardly extending annular shoulder 3i which is shown as being formed on the bottom of the bushing 30. This shoulder is,

formed so as to provide a seating surface which 55 is adapted to have-sealing engagement with a correspondingly ground or formed surface 32 on the upper edge of a second shoulder which is provided on the bottom of the inner or upper member I3. In this form of my invention the shoulder 32 is shown as comprising the upper edge of a ring member 33 which is locked in place by a. cage 33', both the ring and the cage being secured in threaded engagement with the hollow stem 28. This cage member 33' may take various shapes and is shown as comprising downwardly extending legs 34 and 34'. The essential feature of the cage is that it be provided with a port or ports so as to establish communication between the interior of the member 28 and its associated upper member I2 Vand the interior oi' the outer or lower member I3.

The bottom of the cage 33', is shown as being formed with or rigidly connected to a downwardly extending valve stem 3B which in turn supports a valve member 31 at its lower end. The valve member 31 has an accurately ground face 38 formed on its upper edge which is adapted to engage with an inwardly extending shoulder 39 provided on the lower or outer memberv below the region occupied by the port which in this form of my invention is contained within the cage 33. In this Lform of my invention the valve seat or shoulder 39 is shown as comprising the lower edge of a bushing member 4I to which the main body tube of the sand chamber or bottom member I3 is connected.

From the construction as described :so far, it will be seen that the valve member 31 when it is closed, divides the assembly into what may be termed a sand chamber in the lower portion of the memberv I3 and an air chamber which includes a portion of the member I3 above the seat 39 and the member I2. In this connection it is an important feature of this invention that the distance between the upper shoulder 38 on the valve member and the shoulder 32 be such that both of these members are engaged by the corresponding shoulders 39 and 3I on the lower or outer member I3 when the unit is in extended position. In this way it will be seen that whenever the bailer is in suspended position the shoulders 38 and 39 constitute a seal between the air chamber and the sand chamber and the shoulders 3I and 32 constitute a positive pressure seal between the air chamber and the outer end portion of the passage in the outer or bottom member I3, which, when the bailer is in use serves to positively seal the air chamber from the liquid in the well irrespective of the packing 29 or any leakage which may have developed therein.

In assembling the units to obtain this positive sealing eiect the hollow stem 29 is first inserted into the lower member through the packing box 29 after which the ring member is screwed on the stem and is locked in place by the cage 33 at the desired point. The two members are then pulled into their fully extended position with the shoulders 3| and 32 in tight pressure engagement, and a collet is placed around the upper portion of the stem 28 in pressure fitting engagement with the upper edge of the packing box bushing. After this has been done the valve member 31 is screwed up on to the bottom of the valve stem 36 until it is in tight pressure engagement with the seat or shoulder 39 and a locking member 45 is screwed on to the lower end of the valve stem below the valve 31. In this way the two shoulders 32 and 38 are adjusted so that they have the same space relationship as the' shoulders 3| and 39 on the outer or lower member. It will be observed that the lower member in this form oi' my invention is supported by the shoulders 3I-32 and 38-39 and that such shoulders constitute positive pressure seals forming a chamber in the upper end of the lower member which communicates through the port or ports in the cage with the interior of the air chamber or upper member.

As has been previously pointed out it is one object of this invention to provide a bailer of the class described with an auxiliary by-pass valve between the air chamber and the sand chamber which will open in the event the pressure in the air chamber is in excess of the pressure in the sand chamber. This pressure relationship between the two chambers occurs when the unit has been withdrawn from the well full of sand with air under pressure in the top of the air chamber and after the sleeve valve 22 has been rotated to open the ports therein and establish atmospheric communication with the bottom of the sand chamber. In this form oi' my invention this auxiliary by-pass valve is shown as being formed in the valve member 31 by providing the lower end of the stem 36 with a chamber 50 having ports 5| in its upper end and provided with a seat 52 at its lower end. The seat 52 is adapted to be engaged by a check valve 53 which is shown as being yieldably held in pressure engagement with the seat by means of a coil spring 54 which is supported on a spider 56 threaded into a passage 51, which is formed through the locking member 45. With this arrangement it will be seen that irrespective of any relative movement between the two members I2 and I3, the valve 53 will open to establish communication between the air chamber and the sand chamber in the event the pressure in the air chamber is greater than the pressure in the sand chamber. This, as has been pointed out above, occurs when the valve 22 is opened after the bailer has been filled so that the upper end of the member I2 contains air under a, substantial pressure.

Since it is not necessary nor desirable to have the enormous pressure encountered in the bottom of the hole within the air chamber when the unit is drawn to the surface of the ground, it is the practice to provide in bailers of this general character, a pressure release valve situated in the air chamber so as to relieve the pressure therein, as the bailer is withdrawn, until such pressure reaches a predetermined value. Such a pressure release valve is indicated by reference numeral 60 and may be of any desired type being capable of adjustment to retain within the air chamber the desired pressure for unloading the bailer.

It is to be understood that while I have herein described and illustrated one preferred form of my invention that the invention is not limited to the precise construction described above, but

includes within its scope whatever changes fair` ly come within the spirit of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a bailer, the combination of: a lower tubeand lower tubes when said valve member and said valve seat are out of engagement; and an automatic check valve in said upper tube adapted to establish communication between said upper and lower tubes when the pressure in the upper tube exceeds the pressure in the lower tube.

2. In a well bailer, the combination of inner and outer telescoping members forming a sand chamber and an air chamber; spaced shoulders on one of said members; spaced sealing means on the other member adapted to engage said shoulders to form seals, one of said seals being located between the sand chamber and the air chamber, the other seal being located between the air chamber and the outer end portion of the passage in the outer member in which the inner member telescopes and a unidirectional check valve between said chambers adapted to open toward said sand chamber independently of any relative movement between said members.

3. In a bailer of the class described, the com.- bination of: two telescoping tubular members, the inner member having a port at its inner end communicating with the interior of the outer member; means for limiting the collapsing movement of said members; means, comprising two sets of cooperating shoulders formed on said members both above and below said port and adapted to be engaged when said members are fully extended, for forming a sealed chamber in the outer member communicating with said port; and a unidirectional check valve positioned between said sealed chamber and the remainder of said outer member.

4. In a bailer, the combination of a lower tube member having an inwardly opening check valve in the bottom thereof; an upper tube member telescoping into the top of said lower tube; a downwardly facing shoulder in said lower tube forming a valve seat; a valve member secured to the bottom of said upper tube and adapted to be engaged by said seat, the bottom of said upper tube member above said valve member being ported to provide communication between said upper and lower tubes, said valve member being provided with a passage therethrough; and a downwardly opening check valve in said passage.

5. In a well bailer, the combination of: a pair of telescoping members adapted to be suspended in a well; valve means between said members adapted to be closed when said members are extended thereby forming an upper air chamber and a lower sand chamber; an inwardly opening check valve in the bottom of said sand chamber; a manually operable discharge valve at the bottom of said sand chamber; and a downwardly opening by-pass valve interposed between said sand chamber and said air chamber.

6. In a well bailer, the combination of a pair of telescoping tubular members adapted to be suspended in extended relation with each other; valve means between said members adapted to be closed when said members are extended and opened when said members are collapsed thereby forming an air chamber in the upper member and a sand chamber in the lower member; an inwardly opening check valve in the bottom portion of said sand chamber; a discharge valve in the bottom portion of said sand chamber; and automatic by-pass valve means between said air chamber and said sand chamber adapted to open only when the pressure in the air chamber is greater than the pressure in the sand chamber.

7. In combination with a bailer having a sand chamber and an air chamber; valve means between said chambers adapted to be forcefully opened against an excessive pressure in said sand chamber; and an automatic check Valve between said sand chamber and said air chamber adapted to open when the pressure in the air chamber exceeds the pressure in the sand chamber.

8. In a bailer, a suction chamber, a sand chambe, a valve controllingow of fluid between said chambers. said valve being adapted to remain closed when the bailer is descending in the well and to open when the bailer encounters a major obstruction in the well, and a valve mounted between said chambers to permit flow of uid from said suction chamber to said sand chamber when the bailer is removed from the Well to assistl in unloading said sand/chamber.

/ WILLIAM J. FLURY. 

